Wike to Nigerians: Pay your taxes, Government needs funding

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike has urged the good citizens of Nigeria to pay their taxes.

The former Rivers state governor stated this in Abuja at the maiden edition of the Abuja Business and Investment Summit organized by the Abuja Investment Company Limited.

Wike said the theme of the event, ‘Optimizing Investment Through Partnerships’, echoes with the Federal Government’s drive to deploy the power of collaboration to boost investment opportunities in the country.

He said the notion that the government does not need money was wrong.

He added the government won’t continue to spend billions of naira to investors who can’t guarantee a return on investment.

In his words:

“These are the kinds of things the government looks into and say how can I bring in the money and the land and at the end of the day, the government will not make a dime?

“When people say the government is not to make money, who told you that?

If government is not to make money, how do we have money to provide services? The government needs money.

“That’s why the government say pay your tax; it’s very important.

And so, while we provide the enabling environment, we also believe that we have to encourage you (investors) so that you get what you are supposed to get and the government gets what it is supposed to get.

That way, everybody will go home smiling.”